Air-cushion for vehicles.



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R. E. VERSE.

AIB CUSHION POB VEHICLES.

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1,008,290. 1 Patented Nov. 1f, 1911.

` n. E. VERGE.

A1B CUSHIOE POR VEHICLES. APPLIGAHOH FILED FEB. 1, 1911.

Pgtented Nov. 7, 191i 3 anatra-ausm e.

E. VERG'B.

AIB CUSHION POE VEHICLES.

PILIUTIOX H1151) YBB. 7, 1911.

Patented Nov. 7, 19.11.

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UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEicE.

REGINALD E. VIERGE, 0F HALIFAX, NOVA SCOTIA., CANADA.

AIR-CUSHION FOR VEHICLES.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, REGINALD E. VEaon, a. subject of the King of Great I Zritam, residing at Halifax, in the Province of Nova Scotia and Dominion of Canada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Air-Cushions for Vehicles, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to fluid cushioning devices for vehicles, aiid has for its primary object to equip a velncleot: any character with fluid cushions to eliminate the usual springs. O

A further object of the inventionis to construct a compact device to be suitably arranged beneath the body of a vehicle, and one that may be conveniently connected to a. compressor or the like mounted upon and carried by the vehicle.

A still further and important object of the invention is to -provide a. system of this character with one or more automatic regulators so arranged that the movementof the body of the vehicle relative to the rigid portion or truck, will at all times admit a predetermined volume of fluid in the system.

A. still further object of the invention is to provide additional means within the fluid cushioning cylinders, in the nature of coil springs, that would act as cushioning devices, in the event of leakage or breakage in any of the cylinders, for the time being.

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following description, and it will be understood that changes in the specific structure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claims without departing from the spirit of the inven-v tion.

In the accompanying drawings: Figure 1 is a side elevation, showing the invention as applied to a car truck, Fig. 2 is a top plan view of a. truck, with the parts of the invention in their relative position, Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view on line 3 3 of Fig. 2, Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view on line 4-4 of Fig. 1', Fig. 5 is' a vertical sectional view taken through one of the cylinders, Fig. 6 is a. sectional view taken on line 6 6 of Fig. 5, Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the regulator, Fig. 8 is a vertical sectional view, Fig. 9 is a similar view showing the regulator in its recharging position, F ig. 10 is a transverse sectional view taken on line 10--10 of Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, in Fig. 1 the Speclcation of Letters Patent.

Application filed February 7, 1911.

4Patented Nov. 7, 1911.

Serial No. 607,035.

the tops of the truck bars 2. Equalizing bars 4, of the usual construction are provided and have their ends resting upon the tops of the journal boxes 5. Suitably secured to the equalizing bars 4, are transverse bars 6, the purpose of which will be hereinafter described. Arranged between the truck bars 2 and equalizing bars 4 on each side are cylinders 7, 8, 9, and l0, each cylinder havin piston rods 11 and piston heads 12, sait? piston rods havingv .their outer ends formed with enlargements 13. The piston rods 11 are adapted to pass through suitable packed openings 14 in the cylinder heads 15. The piston heads 12 are of the usual construction, and are adapted to work within the cylinders. The coil springs 16 are arranged in each c'ylinder between the under side of the piston heads 12, said springs being secured to the bottom of the cylinders 17 by a suitable anchoring bolt 17. The upper coil of each spring rests against the under side of a perforated plate 18, the upper side of said plate in turn engages the under side of the piston heads 12. The piston rods 11 are lixed to the truck bars 2 by plates 19 having legs 20, said legs straddling the truck bars and provided with openings 21 through which screw-threaded bolts 22 pass to engage the openings 23 carried by the enlargements 13, and upon proper manipulation of suitable nuts, the enlargements will be drawn toward the plates 19, thereby securely clamping the piston rods to the truck bars. This mode of engagement however, may be varied i by recessing attachment of the parts. Similar plates 24am provided to clamp the bottoms of the cylinders to the equallzing bars 4, said plates having screw-threaded bolts 25 passing therethrough having their ends adapted to engage internally screw-threaded sockets 26 formed in the bottoms of the cylinders. This is one form of attaching the cylinders to the frame work of vehicle, but it is obvious that any other method may be used. Each cylinder is provided with a. check valve 27 suitably secured thereto, and near the bottom of the cylinder. The cylinder heads 15 are provided with vents 28, to allow the escape of air that might leak from the compression chamber of the cylinder. Suitably suspended under the bottom of the car floor is a main supply pipe 29, having a branch pipe 30 connected to the regulator 31, on the under side of the car floor to be hereinafter described. Leading from the opposite sides of the regulator 3l. te the cylinders 8 and 1() are pipes 32, having T-joint sections and flexible connections formed therewith. Pipes 33 lead from the said T-joints to the cylinders 7 and 9. The

' f truck is preferably provided with a centrail arranged longitudinal bar 34, to which are suitably secured depending brackets 35. Secured to and supported by the said brackets, by suitable means is the re ulator 81. The regulator is prefera ly formed with a rectangular casing 36 having one of its ends provided with a reduced portion 37, said portion being preferably formed integral with the casing and having an internal bore 38. The other end of thecasing is provided with a closing head 89, and having a central opening 40 therein. Casin 36 is provided with chan bers 4]. and 42, iaving division walls 43 and 44. By this construction a central chamber 45, in which is adapted to slide a piston valve 46, is rovided. The piston valve 46 is provider with ports 47 and 48. To one end of the piston valve 46 is suitably secured a valve rod 49, said rod passing through the opening 40 in the head 39, and the opposite end of the valve 46 is formed with a rod 50, said rod being arranged in direct alinemcnt with the valve rod 49, and adapted to slide freely in the bore 38 of the reduced portion 37. The division walls 43 and 44 are provided with ports 5l and 52. lVhen in the position as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings, the parts are so related that communication is sluit oil' from chambers 41 and 42, and when in the position as shown in F ig. 9 of the drawings, the ports 51and 47 are adapted to register, and the ports 48 and 52 are also in their registering position, thereby forming a. direct communication between the chambers 41 and 42 and through the valve piston 46. An opening 53 is formed in the side of the regulator casing 86, and to which is suitably secured. the branch pipe 30 of the main supply pipe 29, said opening lea-ding directly to the chamber 41. Formed at each side of the chamber 42 are alined openings in communication with which are the pipes 32, said pipes leading to the cylinders. To one side of the casing 36 is a downwardly extending bracket 55 to the lower end of which is fulcrumed a lever 56, having one of its ends pivotally connected to the valve rod 49, and its opposite end pivotally connected to a link 57, which in turn is connected by a universal joint 58, to a rod 59 not shown, said rod being rigidly and suitably secured to thetransverse bar 6' which in turn connects with the equalizing bars 4.

From this construction and arrangement of parts it will be readily seen that when air is zu the system, and the vehicle in motion, a constant volume and pressure of fluid is maintained in the respective cylinders and likewise in a portion of the regulatpr, and the parts will be in the position as shown in Fig. 8 of the drawings and should a leakage occur in the cylinders, or in any one of the cylinders, and the volume of fluid and pressure be so reduced that the piston valve would assume the position shown in Fig. 9 of the drawings, a communication would then be formed through the ports of the regulator, and the system recharged to its normal operative condition. Through the lever operating mechanism of the regulator, it will be apparent that when the arts are in the position shown in Fig. 8 of t ie draw ings all communication from the storage tank or compressor and through" the regulator is shut olf, and the piston valve is allowed to work freely within the casing of the regulator as long as a predetermined pressure is maintained in the system, but should the pressure and volume be reduced to such an extent. as to allow'the equalizing bars 4 to move toward the truck bars 2, the piston valve will move downwardly until the ports therein register with the ports in the division walls, thereby allowing the recharging of the. system.

By providing the universal joint 57 between the fulerumed lever 5G and the rod 59 (not shown) any movement of the vehicle will be accommodated, and will allow vertical movement of the piston valve within the regulator.'

Two or more cylinders are provided and connected to the system by suitable pipes 60. In the drawings these cylinders are desiO'- nated by the numerals G1 end 62, said cyrlinders are shown supported upon the spring board 6 and have their piston ,rods suitably connected to the bar 34.

lVhile this system has been shown applied to a railway truck, it is of course apparent that the same, by minor changes, could he readily used upon automobiles, or in fact upon any vehicle wherein it is de sired to substitute pneumatic cushions for the usual heavy and cumbersome springs.

It is preferable that air, under pressure, be used, but it is understood that any other fluid may be employed with equal results.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that each car may be equipped with a. main supply pipe running throughout lthe length of the car, and having its ends provided with suitable couplings, flexible or otherwise, so that when the cars are coupled, a direct communication is formed from a common supply and through each regulator.

.LA A.

When applied to automobiles and'other machines, it is only necessary that a main supply pipe be connected to the regulator and the storage tanlr or a lVhat is claimed is: 1. In combination with a vehicle, a truck having the usual sills and equalizing bars,

a plurality of air cylinders, arranged be tween said bars, each cylinder having a piston head adapted to Work therein, a head,

a piston rod passing throuffh said head, and

having an enlargement thereon, said enlargement resting against the truck bar, a

plate straddling said bar, bolts passing through the plates and enlargements to com presser.

clamp the piston rod to the truck bars, av

second plate straddling the equalizing bar, bolts passing therethrough to engage openings in the bottoms of the c linders to clamp the same to the equalizing ar, a coil spring arranged between inner aces of the piston head and bottoms of the cylinders, a fluid inlet check valve formed in the cylinders near their bottoms, and in communication with a source of supply, a pressure and volume regulator arranged between the cylinders and said source of supply, and actuated automaticallyr by the relative movement of the car body to the rigid portion of the truck.

2. In combination with a vehicle truck, a plurality of air cylinders, a main supply pipe, branch pipes leading to each cylinder, a pressure and volume regulator suitably secured to the truck and arranged between the main supply pipe and the branch pipe, said regulator comprising a casing, division walls formed therein, and being provided with ports, said division walls separating the casing into a central chamber and side chambers, an air inlet formed in one or' the side chambers, a piston valve adapted to workwithin the central chamber and having ports formed in itshead,alined openings formed in one of the side chambers, and having branch pipes connected at said openings, a bracket rigidly secured to the outside of the casing, a lever fulcrumed to the bracket and havingr one of its ends pivotally connected to the valve rod, and its opposite end swivelly connected to the equalizing bar the ports in the valve piston being adapted to register with the ports in the division walls when pressure or volume is reduced.

3. In combination with a vehicle truck havingY the usual truck and equalizing bars, air cylinders arranged between sai bars, said cylinders having piston heads therein, a closure head, piston rods passing through said heads, and connected to the truck bar, said cylinders having their bottoms fixed to the equalizing bars and spring board, an air inlet check valve formed near the bottom of the cylinders and connected to a source of supply, and a pressure and volume regulator arranged between the cylinders and source of supply. Y,

4. In combination with a vehicle truck, having the usual truck and equalizing bars, a plurality of cylinders arranged between the said bars, a main sup ly pipe, branch pipes leading to the cylin ers, and a ressure and volume regulator arrange between the main supply pipe and source of supply, and means connected between the regulator and the truck whereby the re ulator will be actuated by the vertical jolting motion of the load.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature, in the presence of two Witnesses.

REGINALD E. VERGE. Witnesses:

Annie ROBERTSON,

T. P. RONNAN.

Washington, D. C."

Copies of this patent may be obtained tor ve cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner ot Patents, 

